SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- For Nonnewaug senior cross country runner Jackie Nicholas, the star treatment began well before she ran in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Finals on Saturday morning.

The standout runner got to San Diego at around 10 a.m. Thursday, and has stayed in the Hotel Del Coronado on the Pacific Ocean, she said in a phone interview Saturday evening. Nicholas and other runners got free items, including clothing and shoes, and also participated in a panel with famous runners.

"I met a lot of really great friends here," Nicholas said.

In the actual race Saturday, Nicholas finished 35th with a time of 18:38. The winner was senior Aisling Cuffe of Cornwall Central High School, Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y., according to race results posted online.

"I'm really happy," Nicholas said. "I'm not going to let anything bring me down. It was a once in a lifetime experience."

Nicholas may have been disappointed with her finish, but the difference in competition was a big factor.

"At the State Open, I had to worry about one runner (Glastonbury standout Lindsay Crevoiserat)," Nicholas explained. "Here, it was just a pack of amazing runners. It was so cool to run with them."

Nicholas had hoped to make the top 15, which would have qualified her for All-America status. She said the experience will only push her at the collegiate level, where one of her main goals will be to attain All-America status. Nicholas has narrowed her choices to Harvard, Princeton and Columbia.

Nicholas made the trip with her mom, her mom's best friend, and coach Arleigh Duff.

It has been an incredible fall for Nicholas. She started it off by winning the Berkshire League championship at Black Rock State Park.

Next up was the Class M state championship meet at Wickham Park in Manchester. Another race, another win for Nicholas.

In the State Open, also held at Wickham Park, Nicholas not only won the title, but beat the state record in the process.

Nicholas went on to finish third in the New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championship in Thetford, Vt. She followed that up with a ninth place finish on Long Island in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional.